NASA Officially Announced New Starship Flight 5 Timeline, but FAA Big Problem...

feeling confused you're not alone NASA has just released new estimates for the Starship flight 5 launch date but there's a lot to break down on top of that the eagerly awaited Polaris daon mission is facing yet another delay this time due to weather conditions and new FAA requirements and in a surprising twist NASA has awarded a fresh contract for the lunar mission to intuitive machines these developments are shaking up the space industry and we're here to unpack it all on today's episode of great SpaceX we're inching closer to Elon musk's anticipated launch estimates but where's the progress SpaceX seems to be stalled and the FAA isn't exactly speeding things up although there's no mishap investigation underway the FAA recently announced that they're only now beginning to evaluate spacex's proposed license modifications this leaves the launch schedule hanging in the balance interestingly enough NASA officials provided an update on the Starship launch date during a meeting of the NASA advisory Council Kathy Kerner a NASA official shared that the Starship test flight 5 is expected later this fall with fall starting around September 22nd it looks like we won't see a launch until at least then if not later so we're in for at least another 3 weeks of waiting possibly L more this new timeline although disappointing aligns with the current pace of both SpaceX and the FAA since the last tests like the spin Prime of s30 on August 7th and the static fire of B12 on July 15th there hasn't been much movement it's possible that SpaceX is focusing on upgrading systems at Chopstick for the capture Mission but the real bottleneck seems to be the FAA their delay in evaluating spacex's proposal is puzzling especially since no mishap investigation is required this makes it difficult to predict when the FAA will complete their evaluation given the circumstances an additional 3 weeks or even longer seems like a reasonable expectation for both SpaceX and the FAA to sort everything out it's disheartening especially since it's later than many of us had hoped if NASA's estimate holds True Flight 5 will happen at least 3 and 1/2 months after flight four possibly more this extended turnaround time contrasts with the progress SpaceX made earlier when they managed to reduce the time between flights 3 and 4: so what are your thoughts when do you think the new launch date will be let us know in the comments down below and don't forget to like share and subscribe to keep up with spacex's ongoing journey in related news tensions between SpaceX and the FAA are escalating particularly over environmental concerns in Texas and a recent dispute with CNBC the FAA recently released a draft environmental assessment for spacex's Starship program marking a key regulatory step however issues arose when the public comment period which ended on August 29th revealed allegations that SpaceX may have violated the Clean Water Act at its Bach chica launch site these claims cast doubt on aspects of spacex's license application and the draft tiered environmental assessment as a result the FAA postponed public meetings scheduled for Mid August and announced plans to issue a revised draft EA further delaying spacex's plans for Starship launches environmental groups are becoming significant obstacles to spacex's Ambitions raising concerns about potential impacts on broader missions like NASA's Artemis program the delays highlight the tension between Environmental Protection and space exploration with speculation that the regulatory slowdowns might also be influenced by the strained relationship between Elon Musk and government officials musk's frustration with regulatory hurdles isn't limited to the US his recent clash with the Brazilian government following the blocking of starling's financial accounts underscores his concerns about government actions stifling Innovation after Brazil blocked the financial accounts of starlink musk was quick to clarify that SpaceX and X are two completely different companies with different shareholders I own about 40% of SpaceX so this absolutely illegal action by the dictator Alexandre improperly punishes other shareholders and the people of Brazil in the US spacex's challenges with the FAA including delays in Starship and Falcon rocket launches are particularly frustrating for a company known for its rapid development Pace despite these challenges SpaceX has significantly boosted the US's standing in the global Space Race making it crucial for agencies like NASA the FAA and environmental groups to balance necessary protections with the need to advance technological progress there's growing pressure on these agencies to reassess their procedures to support us space exploration exploration goals without unnecessary delay as SpaceX continues to push the boundaries the outcomes of these regulatory challenges will play a critical role in shaping the future of space exploration and the US's position in the global Arena after more than a year Starship has achieved several significant Milestones flight 4 marked a historic moment as the world witnessed a fully returned rocket for the first time naturally all eyes are now on the schedule for flight 5 which promises to push boundaries even further particular ly with the anticipated attempt to catch the super heavy booster company is targeting no earlier than October 3rd for Starship flight 5 this launch is expected to include an attempt to catch the super heavy booster staying true to spacex's ambitious plans now you might wonder why I believe this schedule is feasible let me break it down first October 3rd falls on a Thursday this might seem like a minor detail but it's intriguing when you consider that the three that three of the previous four Starship flights flight one on April 20th 2023 flight 3 on March 14th of 2024 and flight four on June 6th of 2024 also occurred on Thursdays only Flight 2 which took place on November 18th was scheduled for a Saturday this Thursday pattern could be a subtle nod to spacex's branding or symbolism do you think this is more than a coincidence if so leave a comment with Thursday below to share your thoughts now if all the stars aligning aren't aligning enough well let's look at the actual progress we're currently in the first half of September meaning there are still about 3 to four weeks left before the anticipated date SpaceX is awaiting FAA approval which has taken longer than it did for the for the last flight in addition preparations for the catching system upgrading and testing are still underway as is the testing process for the flight Hardware with wet dress rehearsal being a critical step given the recent pace of developments excluding FAA delays 3 to 4 weeks seem seems like a reasonable timeline for these tasks to be completed moreover NASA officials recently suggested that flight 5 is expected to launch later this fall with an earliest possible date of September 22nd given this information an October 3rd Target appears to be a sensible window neither too early nor too late based on current estimates in the meantime we'll be awaiting official updates from both SpaceX and the FAA until then why not make your own predictions about the flight 5 launch date in in the comments section down below who knows you could be the one to accurately forecast this Milestone event and don't forget to like share the video and subscribe to our channel to stay informed on spacex's exciting Journey now we must address an important question is the proposed schedule for flight 5 a setback for Starship many might feel disappointed with this timeline as it appears to be later than Elon musk's initial estimates if this schedule is accurate the gap between flight 4 and flight 5 will stretch to 3 months and 27 days or nearly 4 months this stands in contrast to spacex's efforts to reduce turnaround times between flights to provide context the time between flight 1 and Flight 2 was nearly 7 months which SpaceX then reduced to just under 4 months between flights 2 and three the gap between flight 3 and four was even shorter just under 3 months therefore the gap between flights four and five could be seen as a Slowdown reminiscent of the period late last year and early this year in fact comparing the exact number of days the October 3rd schedule would make the gap between flights 4 and 5 two days longer than that between flights 2 and 3 119 days compared to 117 statistically this does indicate a Slowdown in starship's Rapid development trajectory however when we consider the reasons for this delay and the potential benefits for the future it becomes clear that this is not a setback firstly as musk has noted in previous launch predictions the timeline is heavily dependent on FAA approval an unpredictable factor it's understandable that the FAA requires more time to evaluate such an unprecedented Mission especially with the planned booster Cat by the mechazilla arms given that there's no mishap investigation currently underway the delay might seem puzzling but it could very well serve a purpose I'll address this in more detail in the next section regarding Blue origin thus the delay is not the result of any internal ISS issues at SpaceX instead it relates to external regulatory factors once the FAA grants approval SpaceX will likely expedite preparations and launch as we've witnessed with previous flights moreover it's essential to look at this Delay from a positive perspective catching a booster with the mechazilla arms is a critical element of spacex's future strategy so taking additional time to thoroughly evaluate and prepare is likely necessary ensuring a successful attempt on this critical Mission will provide a foundation for SpaceX to dramatically reduce the time between flights in the future potentially shortening it to under two months or less once the system proves successful progress could accelerate faster than we can imagine in short this is not a setback for SpaceX rather they are gaining momentum for a major Leap Forward as for flight five we'll have to exercise a little more patience everyone is eager for a successful mission that will pave the way for a transformative future I'm confident that SpaceX will meet these expectations with another groundbreaking achievement so let's continue to support the SpaceX team during this pivotal period if everything truly unfolds in October as scheduled we are on the cusp of witnessing a long anticipated rivalry SpaceX versus blue origin blue origin is currently planning to launch the debut mission for its new Glenn rocket on October 13th with the goal of delivering NASA's Mars spacecraft Escapade into orbit the company has been making significant strides toward this launch throughout the year showing strong determination several factors indicate that this competition is heating up firstly let's talk about the timing if both schedules for Starship and new Glenn hold as predicted Starship could launch before new Glenn however there is a lingering uncertainty in this scenario that raises concerns for SpaceX since blue origin is launching a mission directly related to NASA there's a possibility that regulatory bodies such as NASA or the FAA might delay Starship to allow new Glenn to launch first this potential delay could be seen as a subtle favor to Blue origin aiming to create a more dramatic competition between the two Space Giants and challenge spacex's dominance over the last decade thus the launch sequence itself becomes a pivotal factor in this burgeoning competition besides the actual flight outcomes being the first to launch could carry significant symbolic value with these new developments you can share your thoughts in the comment section down below who do you think will launch first Starship flight 5 or new Glenn one another key indicator of this competition lies in blue Origins recent deployment of its drone ship jacine Landing a booster on a drone ship is a Hallmark of spacex's success over the past 10 years although SpaceX may not attempt this with Starship in the near future it is a critical part of their long-term plans the release of blue Origins drone ship is a clear signal of competition suggesting that blue origin aims to adopt a landing strategy similar to to spacex's groundbreaking efforts in fact blue Origins CEO Dave limp has openly stated that they may apply this Landing method during their upcoming Mission it's certainly a bold challenge what do you think about blue origin taking this step finally the nature of the mission itself adds another layer to this competition new Glenn is launching a spacecraft for NASA to Mars a destination that SpaceX has long been targeting as the ultimate goal of its Starship program Mars is the very reason SpaceX created Starship and this upcoming October competition can be viewed as the first real race between SpaceX and blue origin for dominance in the Mars exploration effort now let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages both companies bring to this faceof SpaceX has a significant advantage in terms of experience they've conducted numerous successful missions and this will be their fifth Starship flight giving them a wealth of data and confidence in their systems their team of Highly skilled engineers and workers further bolsters their chances of success however their biggest challenge will be the booster Landing phase which is something they haven't yet attempted with Starship in addition they face hurdles from government agencies such as the FAA as well as scrutiny from environmental groups which could delay or complicate their progress blue origin on the other hand enjoys considerable support from agencies like NASA though they faced years of delays this additional time may have allowed them to thoroughly prepare for their debut Mission their disadvantage lies in their lack of orbital experience as new Glenn has yet to reach orbit and there are still concerns about issues with the new rocket nevertheless they've had ample time to test and refine their systems both companies face risks and the outcome is uncertain many might argue that blue origin with its delays and limited achievements so far cannot compare to SpaceX in terms of accomplishments while this may be true in terms of their respective track records it's undeniable that blue origin is one of the few companies with the scale m potential to challenge SpaceX this is why the upcoming October launches are so highly anticipated it's a competition worth watching for musk and SpaceX this Mission represents a significant challenge both because of the unprecedented objectives of Starship flight 5 and the competition posed by Blue origin yet SpaceX has been known to rise to the occasion and a victory here would further solidify their dominance in the Aerospace industry it would also be a fitting response to their critics showcase in their ability to innovate and succeed Under Pressure so as SpaceX prepares for the next major leap are you ready for what could be one of the most exciting space races in recent history with that the updates involving Starship have concluded let's now turn our attention to Polaris Dawn SpaceX recently provided an update on the mission via X noting latest forecasts continue to show unfavorable weather conditions in the areas along Florida's Coast where Dragon would splash down Upon returning from space once teams identify the next best opportunities for launch and return of the polaron mission will provide an update falcon9 and dragon remain healthy and vertical on the pad at 39a musk echoed this cautious approach tweeting everything possible must be done to ensure astronaut safety safety Remains the top priority a sentiment also shared by Jared isman the missions Commander isman emphasized the importance of weather conditions and acknowledged the recent Landing issue with the Falcon 9 he extended his apologies to those eagerly awaiting the launch highlighting the team's commitment to patience resilience and teamwork ISAC men's update reassured everyone that the crew remains ready staying productive in quarantine and can be prepared to launch within approximately 30 hours of receiving a favorable weather forecast the weather has been a persistent challenge thwarting a previous attempt at the Polaris daon Mission it's a reminder of the UN predictable elements that space missions must contend with moving on to another significant update NASA has awarded a new contract for a lunar vehicle intuitive machines the company behind the lunar lander launched on the im1 mission earlier this year this year has been selected to deliver a payload to the moon's South Pole region in 2027 on August 29th NASA announced a task order valued at $16.9 million through its commercial lunar payload Services Program otherwise known as Clips awarding it to intuitive machines the company also shared this news on X intuitive machines will deliver six payloads with a combined mass of 79 kg to the moon's South Pole region these payloads include contributions from NASA centers the European Space Agency or Issa and the University of Colorado Boulders laboratory for atmospheric and space physics the payloads Encompass a range of scientific experiments from biology and planetary science to space science as well as a laser retro reflector Ray among the payloads issa's package for resource observation and insight to prospecting for exploration characterization and testing or Prospect for short stands out as it will drill a meter below the moon's surface to search for volatiles like water ice Chris culbert Clips program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center emphasized the mission's importance stating the instruments on this newly awarded flight will help us achieve multiple scientific objectives and strengthen our understanding of the moon's environment this contract marks the fourth task order NASA has awarded to intuitive machines underscoring the company's growing significance in lunar exploration in fact intuitive machines is the only company that has successfully landed a lunar lander on the moon in over 50 years despite some delays due to Lessons Learned From the first two missions NASA is optimistic about the future the agency promises to award more task orders next year with intuitive machines poised to continue playing a vital role in these efforts this year the company has another lunar Mission im-2 which is expected to launch on a falcon 9 alongside another lunar Mission Blue Ghost these missions will once again showcase spacex's critical role in the ongoing lunar race stay tuned as we continue to follow these developments closely from the challenges faced by polaron to the advancements in lunar exploration the coming months promise to be pivotal for SpaceX NASA and the broader space community well folks that's about it for today's episode thank you so much for tuning in and as always this has been Kevin from great SpaceX until next time keep looking up